Alamo

Launched in Florida in 1974, Alamo Rent A Car has has fostered longstanding partnerships with the airline industry, travel destinations, travel agents and tour operators to become one of the most trusted vehicle hire companies around. Since entering the market over forty years ago, it has expanded its operations throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, Latin America and, most recently, Asia, making it a first choice for millions of renters worldwide. It was also selected as a ‘Chosen Provider’ in April 2018 by consumer rights group, Which?, adding to its already impressive reputation.

Its website is simple enough to use, laid out much in the same format as similar car rental sites, with tabs where details of pickup location, date, time and number of passengers can all be entered. After putting in all your preferences, a list of vehicles will appear, with options ranging from ‘Economy’ to ‘Luxury SUV’ and with prices to match. As well as a small photo of the car, there is also a checklist of what is included, such as number of doors, air conditioning, locking and sound system, and interior.

One of my favourite features of the website is that after selecting your vehicle, you are then given the option of ‘packages’ to choose from, be it Standard, Alamo Gold or Alamo Gold Plus. While Standard includes just the basics, Alamo Gold has fuel service option, as well as three additional drivers, whilst Gold Plus provides a GPS navigation system. When using Alamo to rent a car, I like having the option to upgrade to have additional drivers when embarking on long journeys as it is necessary to swap who takes wheel every few hours. GPS navigation, meanwhile, is handy as it means you don’t have to run your battery down on your phone or waste data.

One issue I found with Alamo was that its rewards scheme is not as good as other car rental companies. Although it offers benefits, such as air miles with affiliated airlines and points for affiliated hotels, the number of businesses they work with is not that wide ranging, meaning your points are limited. This means that if you are a frequent traveller, you may want to look for a company that offers more benefits.

David Jones

I am a professional travel writer and travel enthusiast who traveled the world twice, so I am sharing my firsthand knowledge about everything related to travel and spending time abroad.